‘Connolly, Arnet and Montvidas are all at their absolute best in the work, singing with remarkable lustre and refined passion. … Connolly's climactic encounter with Montvidas … is breathtakingly done. It's conducted energetically and beautifully by Manlio Benzi, too. Not for the faint-hearted, but highly recommended..’ ‘The tone is muted, desperate, caged; the singing refined and concentrated even in the bitter duel between Romeo (Sarah Connolly) and Tebaldo (Edgaras Montvidas). Sublime woodwind solos intensify an affecting, well-disciplined, often beautiful orchestral performance under Manlio Benzi.‘ ‘..a production that makes engrossing theatre without smudging the music’s beauty. … The cast, led by Sarah Connolly’s world-class Romeo and Marie Arnet’s virginal Juliet, create strong personalities that embody Bellini’s rapturous music.’ ‘Orpha Phelan directs an expectedly hard-hitting and contemporary account …I had never imagined that Bellini’s opera could be so harrowing. … Phelan gets wonderful acting performances from her cast.’ ‘..a musically outstanding version … Luckily, that superb mezzo Sarah Connolly … alongside the fine Swedish soprano Marie Arnet keep us entranced throughout Orpha Phelan’s imaginative staging, beautifully designed by Leslie Travers.’ |